Welcome back to another episode of Arnold's Pump Club. Today, I want to talk about the importance of connection. We have all read articles about the loneliness epidemic, and we've talked many times about how part of being healthy is connection, being a part of something belonging to something. As we've shared before, in an 85 year study conducted at Harvard, social connection and belonging, where some of the strongest indicators of a happy and healthy life.
Here at the Pump Club, we believe that being fit and healthy isn't just about what you do in the gym. It's about what you do in life. Last week, I got to connect with an old friend, and it was heaven. My buddy Tom Arnold was back on the set of Fouba. You'll have to watch season 2 when he comes out because no spoilers here. I met Tom more than three decades ago. And we had the greatest time filming true.
It's not true lies, but not everybody who meets on a movie says stays friends. That's because it's hard to stay connected. It takes work. Like anything in life, it requires reps. You have to make an effort. Building connections is all about give and take. There will be times when you're the one who needs support, and there will be times when you're the one who needs to lift someone else up.
You have to show up. Tom and I have remained friends because we are always there for each other. We've both visited each other in the hospital. We help each other's charities when we need it. We share photos of our kids and give each other advice. We use all the modern tools available now, FaceTime and email and text so that when we can't see each other, we can still be there for each other. We can still be there for each other.
So when we do see each other, even if it's been a while, it's never awkward because we've been doing the reps to stay connected. Without my friendships, I can promise you that I would not be the Arnold. You have heard me say, I'm not a self-made man. At every stage of my life, I've built connections and friendships that have given me great joy. With my work, I believe in only adding never subtracting.
It's the same with friendships. At each new stage, I had friends. But I want you to know that it takes effort to make a friendship last. Even with all of my new friends from Foubaar, we've built amazing friendships by showing up for each other outside of Foubaar. The whole cast came to my fundraiser for afterschool All Stars. When Travis has a play or Fortune has a stand-up show, I make sure to show up for them.
This week, I'm asking all of you to show up for someone. Let them know you are there for them whether it's to celebrate a win or lift them up during a struggle. Do some reps of being a great friend. I promise you that you will never regret it. Now, let's get to today's tips. We frequently talk about the science of small things leading to big differences. Few people are better at identifying the best small changes than Jason Fyfer.
He shares his favorite lessons once per week in his fantastic newsletter, One Thing Better, which we highly recommend. We ask Jason to help us find the one thing that can help you break bad habits. If you are feeling unmotivated or disengaged in some part of your life, but can't figure out why an influential psychology theory could help you gain clarity.
Research suggests if you want to feel more motivated and build better behaviors, mastering three basic psychological needs is critical to your success. To change your mindset, you want to build a mental arc which stands for autonomy, relatedness, and competency. Let's break down what each one means. Autonomy is when you feel in control of your actions. Relatedness is having strong relationships of bonds with others, and competency is feeling good about what you do.
Arc is a core insight of self-determination theory. It was developed in the 1980s by two psychologists, and it revolutionized the way we understand motivation. Decades of research have confirmed its importance. When people have arc in a situation, say at work or in a relationship, they enjoy enhanced performance, persistence, and creativity. When people lack arc, they experience a robust detrimental impact on wellness.
If you don't find arc in one part of your life, you may seek it elsewhere and create a destructive behavior. Are you slacking off at work where your arc is low and spending too much time on Reddit, where arc is high, if you're feeling stuck and unmotivated somewhere, assess yourself using arc.
First, ask yourself a few questions. Be honest about whether you feel in control of your decisions, and then ask if you have good relationships or feel competent in your actions. If you answer no to any of those, try to fix that problem. If you're lacking competency at work, find a mentor or explore additional training if the problem is unfixable, take control with a bigger change. Maybe it's time for a new job or a healthier relationship.
Once you know the critical ingredients of motivation, it's much easier to find them and then do what it takes to take action. When that happens, you'll find yourself in more control with more arc and with everything you need to create the changes you desire most in your life. That's it for today's episode. I created this podcast because I believe that fitness is for everyone. I'm using the power of machines to help me deliver news, information, and support that will make you healthier.
I am not a cybernetic organism, but I do have an important mission to build the positive corner of the internet and lift up the world. There's too much negativity online, and I want this podcast to give you the support you need to become a little bit better.
I want to thank our editors in Chief Adam Boenstein and Daniel Ketchel, who helped me with this podcast in our daily newsletter, as well as our producers, Penn Name Consulting. We value all your feedback, and the three of us are here to support you. If you enjoyed this podcast, please leave a review. We love hearing from you. Together, we have the strength to lift up the world.